Showdown: Our Editors Go Head To Head Over The iPhone 3G

Though seemingly innocent at first, the release of the new iPhone tomorrow has caused our editors to stop playing nice and are now at each others' throats trying to convince each other whether the 3G is worthy of your money. Feel free to join our discussion as mysterious contributor Kelly, Sonia, Gregory, Peter, and myself all go at it.

Kelly: I'm going to go out on a limb and be the poster boy for Apple fanboyism. The iPhone is in itself, an ingenious product. By combining almost everything that used to take at least 3 devices into one, Apple has created one of the most desired products on the market by smart design, self-propagating advertising, and value alone. Sure, you may not have everything, but about everything else you can ask for is there.

Now with Apps, even better GPS support, and super speed to get you where you need to go even faster, there are definitely no complaints coming my way for such a great job Apple has done for their product. I've heard complaints about battery life, but even so, learn to live with it! It's already doing so much, keeping your fingers off it for a few minutes or carrying an extra charger is a small sacrifice in comparison. Will I upgrade from my iPhone 1.0? I kind of like the silver, so probably not. However, if you haven't had the cheap thrills of owning this bad boy, I definitely suggest giving it a try. After that, you may be as critical as you want about it.

Sonia: While I have a Macbook and an iPod, for some reason I'm really adverse to drinking the Apple Kool-Aid. I'm sure the iPhone is a great piece of software and machinery, but I feel like buying one would be buying into the hype. I've got a Blackberry now, and well, it works just fine for my specific needs.

I'm not the type of person who wants to edit photos and make videos on a 3.5-inch display. And if I want to listen to music, well, there's my iPod. One of my big beefs with Apple actually is this need to have the newest and bestest every few months. I actually wrote about it for Wired a few years ago. This push to constantly come out with a new iPod, Macbook, iPhone, just leads to more e-waste in my opinion. What happened to the days when you bought a phone and it lasted more than a year?

All I've ever wanted is a phone that lets me actually hear my conversations and type out emails and text messages. That's it. Ok, the occasional Google search in order to mode someone, but that's really it. I've heard the iPhone keyboard is a pain to input into, so that nixes my typing needs. As for sound, well, I'm sure it ain't bad, but could it really be that much better than what I'm using now?

Right now, I'm proud to whip out my little old Blackberry on a subway filled with Kool-Aid drinkers.

Peter: Can't say much about the new iPhone because it sounds like it is going to be only MAYBE 10% better than the previous version. Still no stereo Bluetooth? How can an iPod not support stereo? No multimedia messaging? I can't believe I am saying this, but it has no video recording! What is going on in Cupertino? I am starting to wonder what all the buzz is about. I think it just happens before anyone knows what they are buzzing about and by the time we all realize how imperceptibly better the new product is, its too late; we are hooked. Well, I am waiting for the 4G and sticking with my current iphone, thank you very goldang much.

Anthony: I can't take any more of this iPhone hype. Sure, it now has some fancy corporate features, GPS (which might get me out of the boonies when necessary), and of course the 3G speed boost, but it's even nicer to know that your friends at AT&T will shamelessly capitalize on the obvious increased data usage by spiking up the rate plans. For the casual user, I highly doubt it's worth those premiums paid.

My biggest gripe, however, is the obvious battery life dilemma! How can Apple make a product that's designed to keep you in touch throughout a workday, but won't even hold a charge until the end of it? Tsk tsk.

Gregory: Haha, the funny thing is I'm on the fence about getting one. If AT&T's plans were more reasonable, I'd be in line for one tomorrow. But being on a budget, the $60/month minimum has me thinking I'd be better off purchasing a new bike. My shocking secret is I've been without a cell phone now for over 3 years now, because to be frank, I don't need it working at home. But the iPhone has always been a serious temptation with all the additional non-voice features. The iPhone Apps Store has piqued my interest, but I'll likely hold out a bit longer and when the lines fade.